Female Artists and ADHD: How to Make 1+1>2 (Part 1)
Hi, I'm illustrator zuzu. For a long time, I knew I had a little problem: every time I was about to start painting, I would always procrastinate and spend a long time preparing: finding the paint tubes, filling the brush holder, placing the large and small tools and tea, running around panting, and finally sitting down, hey, I was still missing something! In addition, I often lose things, even losing the same item multiple times, always feeling that I don't have enough time, being late, and being called impatient and having no sense of time by my friends around me...
Do you often have similar troubles? If so, it means that you may be aware of your ADHD symptoms and the challenges it brings, just like me. Many creative workers' daily tasks are not only to respond to the requirements of design/writing/illustration, but also often require energy management, taking care of emotional health, etc. Today I want to talk to you about some methods I have figured out since I started my illustration work. They help me amplify the potential benefits of ADHD instead of letting ADHD trap me in anxiety.
Disclaimer: The following are only effective methods that I have found in my own practice, and they are not suitable for everyone. If there are symptoms that cannot be solved by self-examination, please do not hesitate to seek help from professional psychological counselors. Let's get to the point.
First, observe and record yourself.
ADHD has always been far away from me. Because of the nature of my work, I am very familiar with the characteristics of ADHD children, so I never doubted myself. Until one day, I saw this Ted Talk . From the experience described by the speaker, I saw myself, because I made the same mistake, so I immediately left a message in my Discord art group:
In the following months, I took the initiative to contact colleagues with relevant assessment resources, and started regular consultations with my family doctor. After living with self-doubt for more than 20 years, I finally took the first step. This diagnostic process made me reflect that women should stop blaming themselves, because the environment around you is always looking for evidence that you are "not good enough". Since childhood, because I am a girl, I am more likely to be expected to be more hardworking and diligent than boys, so it is easier to ignore my needs at work and in life. Can we start by speaking out our needs and change this?
This illustrator's experience also resonated deeply with me. Have you ever recorded your menstrual cycle, emotions, and energy, and made a habit of regularly analyzing these records and adjusting your status based on them? PMS is the most efficient phase every month, but I used to be very irritable. Later, I did some homework and began to understand my energy patterns and cycles through recording, instead of being caught off guard every month and realizing that, oh, I'm not lazy, it turns out that I wronged myself. At the end of the article, I will also attach a link to the free monthly tracker🔗
Second, simplify your life and workflow.
Simplification is of great significance to A-type people. We tend to get excited about many things because of our short attention span, and often overwhelm ourselves when making to-do lists. Therefore, when making a task list, simplifying the number of tasks can greatly reduce the resistance to executing tasks. Don't be greedy, less is more. Xiangyou Tea Bag once posted a post saying, if I can "only" do three things this week, what will they be? If I can only do one thing, which one will it be? Helping the brain to simplify the things it has to deal with to a few things is easier to do than to conquer a long list.
What if there are still a lot of things I want to do and need to do? Create a small refrigerator for ideas and put them all aside temporarily. It can be a notation page or a physical small jar. Treat it as a treasure chest. When I draw illustrations, I often have many themes I want to express, but it is easy to burn out if I use up all my energy to draw at once, so I formed such a system. The idea of starting to write also came from this refrigerator.
In terms of creation, observing your own work habits and processes is an important step. In the procrastination problem I mentioned at the beginning, I tried to make a list of items, and each time I listened to music while preparing materials according to the list, so that the brain would consume less before officially starting work. In addition, only doing the parts you like is also a way to simplify. If the hand-drawing process is cumbersome, it is easier to pick up an iPad to draw, and it is also a good tool to keep creating.
At the same time, simplifying the life process can make things more organized. For example, I will tie the key chain to my waistband as shown in the picture, so that it is not easy to find the key. Products such as air tags and capsule coffee (or better, the best espresso cometeer) are also good helpers in the life of A-star people. They can make the brain less anxious in the busy morning. It is also very beneficial to clear the things in your mind regularly, such as establishing your own notion system, or completing brain dump on the morning page. If you feel resistant to some social occasions, you can just say no. If you can simplify social interaction and only interact with people you like, for people who do creative work, social interaction will become a nutrient rather than a consumption. Simplification can actually contribute to the richness of the spiritual life of A-star people.
Third, adapt to your own working style. Most artists think in a very visual way. Compared to many strategies on the market that teach time management or how to get more done in less time, we need to spend more time to figure out our goals and visualize them. We will feel bored or overwhelmed faster than people with the same work experience, and establishing a vision board is a good process to focus attention. Visual reminders are very helpful for ADHD.
Fourth, built in buffer, i.e. rest! When I was reading The 4 Hours Workweek, I realized something: mini retirement. If you can do what you want every weekend, why wait until retirement? A-type people are used to burning out their energy in a short period of time, but their little universe needs more cooling time than ordinary people after burning, and the frequency of burnout will be faster than others. Sometimes when we do time management, we tend to think that there are 5 hours between item 1 and item 2, so we can definitely complete the task that can be completed in one hour normally, right? But in fact, energy often does not depend on your will. A-type people need to pay more attention to your energy level, lie down in time, rest, and adjust.
Fifth, management style based on acceptance and encouragement. Seize the small things you have done well, praise yourself and make yourself feel good. Wear pajamas more often and make your environment comfortable. Find an accountability partner as your community, and create with other people who face similar problems. For example, when writing this article, I found it difficult to separate the points because there were too many points listed, so I consulted friends who love writing and was encouraged by the positive feedback. Plant trees in a countdown manner, and you can see more progress when you look back, and reduce the anxiety caused by the countdown mode.
Sixth, let the closest people know and communicate. Women usually take on more housework than men, and these labors are not necessarily physical. My family members cook more, and I am responsible for more shopping. So my communication method is open and honest. If there is something he notices at home that needs to be purchased, please add it to the shopping cart yourself, or write it on the magnet on the refrigerator like me. In this way, I can plan more comprehensively and avoid being frequently deprived of attention by small tasks.
The last suggestion is to follow the characteristics of ADHD that likes novelty and stimulate the brain nerves by breaking your habits from time to time. If you can't concentrate at the table, try drawing in different corners of the house, or just go out with paper and pen. The freedom to come and go can help you regain some sense of control. The new environment brings new visual and sensory experiences, which can improve anxiety and stress, and have a positive stimulation on creativity and attention. In addition, I also highly recommend trying some meditation or relaxation exercises to help manage emotions and anxiety. Through practice, I am slowly learning to get along with ADHD and become a peaceful A-star person.
Thank you for reading this. I wonder if you will have more confidence in facing ADHD after reading this. I used to think that ADHD was just a fashionable label and putting it on didn’t really change anything. But in the process of identifying this label, if it can give people the opportunity to stop and know themselves and get more mental health resources, then this is not a label, but a starting point for understanding yourself and getting help. Don’t be afraid to let others know one of your characteristics. You are very interesting and attractive with these characteristics.
How do you live peacefully with ADHD symptoms? If you have any tips or if the above suggestions have helped you, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts. Feel free to ask more questions, which may be discussed in my next article. See you next time!
You can also find me here: Instagram Mammoth Ko-fi
Further reading:
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